The present invention relates generally to office furniture such as desks or the like, and more particularly, to a desk having cable management features.
Many types of equipment used in modern offices, such as telephones, computers, typewriters, etc., are positioned on the worksurfaces of desks. In order for these devices to function, data, communication and/or electrical cables must be provided. These cables and their connecting elements can be unsightly and cumbersome when loosely placed on the top of a worksurface, draped over the side of the desk, and strewn about a floor.
In existing desks with cable management, wires or cables are often fed through an access opening in the worksurface or the support panels of a desk, and some type of cover is utilized to conceal the access opening. Desks of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,762,072 (Boundy), 4,734,826 (Wilson), 4,372,629 (Propst), 4,323,291 (Ball), 4,296,981 (Hildenbrandt), 4,163,867 (Breidenbach), and 3,873,758 (VanGessel). Even when the cables themselves are hidden from view, the covers of these desks can be readily observable and unattractive, especially when the covers are located on the top of a worksurface.
A desirable feature of cable management is to have one or more access openings spanning the substantial length of the panel or worksurface so that cables can be inserted therein from a desired location on the worksurface. In such a case, the length of exposed cable from various office equipment to the access opening is minimized. However, these added access openings compound the problem of providing an attractive desk with inconspicuous covers or the like. Boundy, Wilson, and Propst disclose such access openings in the worksurface which span the substantial length thereof. The plurality of covers or the like concealing these openings, however, can be noticeable and unattractive.